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One thing that also makes the Redbirds family-oriented is that they do have an alcohol-free area on the Bluffs so that a family atmosphere is maintained. They're also very involved with the community in terms of community events at games. For example, when they have special nights for different organizations, we have received seriously discounted tickets for the event to encourage attendance. When our organization was offered a night with the Grizzlies, the cheapest tickets available to our group were in the $40 range. The Redbirds go farther in building community good will than the Grizzlies.

I lived in Memphis during this time and went to almost every home game. Why?

1) Because I was/am a fan of the NFL and you don't often get to see NFL games in Memphis, even if it IS in the crappy Liberty Bowl with 12k in attendance.

2) Because Memphis was labeled as a city who couldn't support pro sports. I wanted to show that yes, we COULD...and not enhance that opinion by proving such with low attendance.

Turns out, Memphis CAN'T support pro sports...because (insert reason here)...and THAT's why they didn't get a team. Not because State Legislature had a bias.

We could support a team. Of our own. The history of what occurred time-wise speaks for itself. The legislature denied funding to Memphis. Awarded funding to Nashville. Memphis did not want to support someone else's team after having satisfied all of Rozelle's conditions. Every city with any sense of pride would've done the same.

And beyond that, almost every city has at some point struggled in attendance with losing franchises. Jacksonville had to cordon off part of its stadium. Nashville has started to show concerns, as has St. Louis.

You're using what happened AFTER the door was shut to prove why it was shut in the first place, and that's inherently illogical. The lack of attendance was not a referendum on the product, but a referendum on the process. Many believe (and I think justifiably so) that to have supported them then would be to encourage further injustices inflicted on our great community by that and other professional sports franchises, and you know what, we got the better end of that deal. We have the not-for-profit Redbirds and the Grizzlies who were lauded for their community involvement. During the Oilers' years they never sniffed such outreach into the community they demanded support from. They never understood or appreciated that support should be earned, and if you don't go out in the community, you don't deserve the community's support.

I'm sorry...I just don't believe that Memphis can get 70,000 people together 8 times per year consistently.

As for the Titans, they've sold out EVERY single game (even preseason) since the stadium opened, so I'm not sure to what you are referring. It took me 4 years on the waiting list before I was able to even SNIFF season tickets. I finally was offered nosebleed seats this past offseason.

That's a lame excuse though. They suck so that's why no one goes? That's called being a fair-weathered fan. Support your team even when they are losing. Supporting them through the bad times makes it that much better when they DO win.

Anyone can be a fan of a winner. Look at all the damn Cowboys fans around town.

Memphis CAN support Tigers Basketball but that's it. No other team has done squat there.

Hold on now I was saying if the Grizzlies wanted to INCREASE their fanbase they need to win which is pretty obvious. The fact is they need to get the 13-18 year old falling in love with the team so they will have loyalty towards the team. Down the road these kids will be the future of the season ticket holders. I fell in love with the Tigers when I was younger and have been a fan now through thick and thin. I hate fair weather fans(which the Tigers now have a lot of) but the Grizz need fans no matter what kind right now.

I lived in Memphis from '82 to '04, so I do know some about the attempt...but was younger for most of those years so I probably am not as knowledgeable as some on the details.

I do remember preseason sellouts, but there's a huge difference between that and supporting 10 home games (including preseason) every year, not to mention the suites that are super-expensive.

As for the poverty, I dunno...the city of memphis is pretty poor. Now the outlying areas are a lot better, but inside the city, I dunno. I haven't seen what the Tennessean and Scene have written.

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